Shakiez
In 2022, French footballer and World Cup winner, Paul Pogba became the target of an extortion scheme involving his brother, Mathias Pogba, and several childhood friends. The group demanded about €13 million from Paul for alleged “protection services” spanning 13 years. In March 2022, they held Paul at gunpoint, coercing him into paying €100,000.
On December 19, 2024, a Paris court sentenced Mathias Pogba to three years in prison, with two years suspended. He will serve the remaining year under house arrest with electronic monitoring and was fined €20,000. Five accomplices received prison terms ranging from four to eight years and fines between €20,000 and €40,000. The court also ordered the defendants, excluding Mathias, to jointly compensate Paul Pogba for economic losses of €197,000 and moral damages of €50,000.
Read Also: How Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Used in Football?
After the court ruling, Pogba who didn’t seem surprised told AFP expressed neither relief nor celebration “There is no winner in this case, which involves members of my family and people that I have known since childhood.”
This case has significantly impacted Paul Pogba’s career. In addition to the extortion ordeal, he faced a doping ban in 2023, which was later reduced to 18 months. Consequently, Juventus terminated his contract, leaving him a free agent eligible to return to football in March 2025.
%20is%20Used%20in%20Football?){kind=link}